Best Mobo for E8400?

mattlyall06 · Aug 10, 2008

lookin to start brainstorming about my next build. so far i know i want an E8400, an 8gb of ram since im using vista x64 (which kicks *** btw).
my question is, which motherboard will yield me the best overclock, without having to break a leg in doing so? also, as far as ram goes, would DDR2 800 work? or would i have to spend a little more $$$ on faster ram?

JonSimonzi · Aug 10, 2008

I'm a fan of Asus's P5Q series, I have the P5Q-E on an E8500 and love it. So I would have to recommend one of those, to get all the differences between the models, you would need to make a trip over to Asus's website though.

As far as your ram goes, it depends on how much of an OC you have, and how far your ram will go. I have 800mhz ram, and it's being stubborn as hell and doesn't like to go over 900mhz, so right now I'm kind of limited around 4.2ghz. If you have the cash, I would definitely recommend getting some 1000mhz ram, you should still be able to recoup some of the money back from the g.skills buy huchking them on ebay, or the classifieds here when you get access. That's what I plan to do eventually.

glock19owner · Aug 10, 2008

The best chipset for the dual core CPU's are the X38/48 chipsets...especially if you plan on running crossfire...

As for memory...yes it would be worth spending the extra for DDR2 1066+...

With the 45nm CPU's they can reach 575FSB+...so you will need memory to at least run 1:1 at those high FSB speeds...

mattlyall06 · Aug 10, 2008

thanks for the info guys.

what about gigabyte boards. the G31M-S2L i have now is perfect for me, extremely easy to use, it was my first build and i OCed my E2180 to 3ghz in my sleep.

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L

or

GIGABYTE GA-EP35C-DS3R

Shiggity · Aug 10, 2008

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131297 - 200$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138118 - 150$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138122 - 80$ AMIR (Only 1 PCI-E slot, do not get this if you want to run more than 1 graphics card)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284 - 270$

Those are the top boards imo. The X48 is the most expensive becaues it has 2 true 16x PCI-E lanes for optimal crossfire setups.

However, look at this thread that compares X48 dual 16X PCI-E lanes to the dual 8X lanes of the Asus PQ5 Deluxe. The dual 8x lanes barely lose to the dual 16x lanes for a crossfire setup and the Asus PQ5 Deluxe costs significantly less money. (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=571156)

I really have to suggest the Asus PQ5 deluxe over the others, but if you really want the true dual 16x lanes, get the X48, and if you need to save some money, consider the Biostar P45 options.

I also have to really urge you to get the E8600. It's a brand new chip and it's hitting clockspeeds higher than ANYTHING before. That chip is worth the extra money.

mattlyall06 · Aug 10, 2008

Shiggity said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131297 - 200$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138118 - 150$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138122 - 80$ AMIR (Only 1 PCI-E slot, do not get this if you want to run more than 1 graphics card)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284 - 270$

Those are the top boards imo. The X48 is the most expensive becaues it has 2 true 16x PCI-E lanes for optimal crossfire setups.

However, look at this thread that compares X48 dual 16X PCI-E lanes to the dual 8X lanes of the Asus PQ5 Deluxe. The dual 8x lanes barely lose to the dual 16x lanes for a crossfire setup and the Asus PQ5 Deluxe costs significantly less money. (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=571156)

I really have to suggest the Asus PQ5 deluxe over the others, but if you really want the true dual 16x lanes, get the X48, and if you need to save some money, consider the Biostar P45 options.

I also have to really urge you to get the E8600. It's a brand new chip and it's hitting clockspeeds higher than ANYTHING before. That chip is worth the extra money.

wow, thanks for all the advice. that $80 biostar board looks pretty good to me, as money will most likely be an issue for me when the time comes for this build.

any other suggestions? Shiggity covered alot of stuff for me but i'd still like for some other opinions.
thanks alot!

LiquidOz · Aug 11, 2008

If you are interested with P45 boards on a budget you might want to look at this deal at newegg.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=12169&t=890301

From the reviews it's pretty good on the bang for the buck it seems.

Best Mobo for E8400?

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